PlayStation 4 will require a Day One update to enable many basic features

Sony’s PlayStation 4 will require a Day One software update to enable full console functionality. The patch will weigh in around 300MB and enable basic features like Blu-ray and DVD support, party chat and the ability to listen to music in the background while playing a game.

Other more complex features that will be missing out of the box include Remote Play on the PS Vita and the ability to record and upload gameplay highlights using the Share button. What’s more, gamers won’t be able to livestream sessions through Twitch and Ustream without the 1.50 update nor will they be able to use voice commands and facial recognition features via the optional PS4 Eye accessory.

It doesn’t end there, either, as the update will be necessary to use Sony’s ‘play as you download’ feature powered by technology acquired from Gaikai. As Engadget correctly pegs it, pretty much everything we’ve heard Sony talk about in the lead up to the PS4’s launch won’t be available without the update.

Looking past how so many crucial features missed being baked into the console from the factory, I can already see how this will play out based on experience with other massive updates and online-required game updates. In short, there will be a lot of pissed off gamers come November 15 and in the days that follow that won’t be able to get the update because the servers will be overloaded. I invite Sony to prove me wrong and allocate enough download servers in advance but given precedent, I just don’t see that happening.